Cel jerked his hand back.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQZ4OqgeVF
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"I'm sorry. That was—"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPT6K9mL9eB
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"It's okay." Her voice came distant, distracted. She touched her own head where his hand had been, fingers brushing through dark hair. Her gaze remained unfocused, lost in memory. "My brother used to do that. When I was upset."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEZfZHpkX1
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The words hung between them like smoke.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaf60QoOd0b
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Cel's throat tightened. He needed to change the subject. Needed to steer away from this before she looked too closely, asked too many questions.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrQRqPK0W8
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"You said your mother searched for him," he managed. "Is she..."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPUM04ixJ2
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"She divorced him." The words came sharp and final. Lyra's expression hardened. "After everything - after what he did - she couldn't stay. Neither did I."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7mrotF3Hvb
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Pride flickered through the pain in her voice.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QnkmtMdbC
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"My oldest brother stayed with Father. His choice." She shrugged, but the gesture was too tight, too controlled. "Mother and I moved here. To the capital."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KA8FSL1lm
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‘Too late.’ 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMt5u7VM30
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The thought burned through Cel. His mother had finally found the strength to leave - after he was gone. After a year of torture. After she'd watched Lord Aldric tear the divine mark from his back and done nothing. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSjC52PbSIV
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She'd left when it was safe. When he couldn't be saved anymore. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsPVBjCMdb
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But at least she'd taken Lyra with her. Protected her. Given his little sister the escape he'd never had. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMwj4Xjhky
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The bitterness and relief twisted together in his chest, inseparable.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXYFDqMLG0
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Footsteps echoed from the church entrance - sharp and purposeful against worn stone. Both of them turned.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0SxUiPEVY
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A woman in servant's attire stood in the doorway, scanning the interior until her gaze landed on Lyra. Her expression shifted from searching to relieved.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ8iVWaqp4B
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"Lady Lyra," the woman called. "Your mother sent me to find you. It's getting late."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePmEvZDdxb
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Lyra's shoulders sagged slightly - disappointment mixed with resignation. She rose from the bench, smoothing her dress one final time.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7xHRCpjrRq
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"I have to go," she said, turning back to Cel. Something in her expression had changed - softer, warmer. "Thank you. For listening. For... what you said about the Moon Goddess. I really needed that today."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvK4os3WpZN
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She hesitated, then added quietly, "I hope I see you again. It was nice to meet you, Heir to the Moon."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxSRsbiLGe
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His name in her voice felt like a knife and a comfort all at once.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtXHybWKdC
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"You too," he said.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBEvkiuS5O
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Lyra offered one last small smile, then followed the servant toward the entrance. Her footsteps faded across stone, then disappeared entirely as the heavy wooden doors swung shut behind her.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZt1KCmhTl2
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Silence rushed back in like water filling a void.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8aAxUV0KX7
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Cel remained on the bench, staring at the space where she'd been. His hands gripped his knees hard enough to hurt. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9GrIHeIOC
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She didn't know.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMt9HWpkcy
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She'd sat beside him, cried about him, talked about him, and never once realized the truth.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6t4rh8RBk3
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He should feel relieved. Should be grateful she hadn't recognized him - that the secret remained safe.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8T6Mij0t4S
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Instead, he just felt hollow.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfxJKpGLYeb
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Slowly, Cel rose from the bench. His legs felt unsteady, disconnected. He moved toward the altar, toward the pale stone mark of the Moon Goddess that watched over this forgotten space.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCTVc7LBUw
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The crescent seemed to glow brighter in the fading light - or maybe that was just his imagination. He stood before it, staring up at the symbol that had changed everything.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSt6ul45Faa
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A carriage accident.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW03hMBEW3b
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So that was the story his father had told. Clean, tragic, unquestionable. And everyone had accepted it. His mother. His sister. The entire clan.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jh3F1lA0j
93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxyBpcmNBK
No one had looked deeper. No one had questioned what really happened to the disappointment, the failure, the boy marked by the wrong deity.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPRTZ5z4Rg
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They'd moved on. Built new lives. Forgotten.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilmw8VBVmF
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While he'd rotted in a cell.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsuKhMpc7X
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The familiar burn of rage tried to surface - hot and bitter. But it couldn't quite catch hold. Not after hearing the pain in Lyra's voice. Not after seeing how much she still carried his memory.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRVAtRoXqG
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Cel's forced himself to breathe.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXKbY0Jkblk
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He'd been gone for a year. Dead, as far as the world knew. In that time, everything had shifted - families had fractured, alliances had changed, stories had been written and believed.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTA48tEYAU
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He needed to know what else had happened. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpKT0ItqDX
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Cel left the church, the heavy wooden doors closing softly behind him.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzw1KI9S2mY
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Evening had settled over the capital. The sky had deepened to purple-gray, and lamplighters were making their rounds through the streets. Warm light bloomed in windows as shops closed for the night and families gathered for dinner.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWB3XkJ2WS5
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His feet carried him without conscious direction, following the flow of people still moving through the city. Workers heading home. Late shoppers finishing errands. Groups of friends laughing together as they moved between taverns.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kf0seNLqr
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A tavern.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgpdnZMVDl
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The thought surfaced with sudden clarity. Places where people gathered. Where tongues loosened with drink. Where information flowed as freely as ale.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40dKMzOdGk
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He'd never been to one before. His father had deemed such establishments beneath noble dignity - places for commoners and lesser merchants, not for nobles like him.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSuuH7XMgx
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But he was no longer a Solmar.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LXRuW0l9R
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A sign caught his eye - faded wood with a painted barrel and wheat sheaf. “The Golden Hart.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMfLleXQy9
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Cel pushed through the door.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeg2Pb9xrYR
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Warmth hit him immediately - body heat and cooking fires, the scent of roasted meat and spilled ale. The space was larger than it looked from outside, with rough wooden tables scattered across the floor and a long bar dominating one wall. Perhaps thirty people filled the room, their conversations creating a steady hum that washed over everything.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWCekgTpId
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No one looked up when he entered. Just another hooded figure seeking a drink.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7csJbsNDh8
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Perfect.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUEXF3qiFW
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He moved to the bar and slid onto an empty stool. The bartender - a broad man in his fifties, with the kind of shoulders that settled arguments without words - glanced over.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAX5RToXAe
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"What'll it be?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tVOwI4ttP
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Cel hesitated. He had no idea what to order. The extent of his knowledge about alcohol was that nobles drank wine and spirits, while commoners drank ale.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadwGjGAA3m
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"Ale," he said.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgWUS2FI8I7
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The bartender nodded and turned away, pulling a tankard from beneath the bar and filling it from one of the barrels along the wall. He set it in front of Cel with a soft thunk.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgB2L8uLEWP
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Cel placed coins on the bar. The bartender swept them up and moved to serve another customer.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0c74g4yhaO
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The tankard sat before him, amber liquid catching the lamplight. Cel lifted it and took a sip.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZ6LIRTgyT
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Nothing. No taste registered - just liquid sliding down his throat, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAf97UkJhZ
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He drank more, watching the level drop. Around him, conversations continued - complaints about work, gossip about neighbors, plans for tomorrow. The normal rhythm of lives that hadn't been shattered and rebuilt.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXCTFqw2HA
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The bartender returned after a few minutes. "How is it?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDN2LX7WNA
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Cel glanced at his half-empty tankard. "Fine."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXw8Ckg2wtv
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"First time drinking?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLsKmL7KLF
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"Yes."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAP6GIrbqp
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The bartender's eyebrows rose slightly. "You're handling it well. Most people make a face." He studied Cel with mild curiosity. "New to the city?" 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuo1gF4v5z
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"Recently arrived. I'm enrolled at the Academy."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB8P52YdWcQ
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The bartender nodded to himself. "Thought so. You've got that look - like you're still taking it all in. We get a few of you in here from time to time. Though most stick to the fancier places near the palace."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFOi22VRvf
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"I prefer this."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqz6c3T9QFf
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The bartender's expression warmed slightly. "Good answer." He moved to refill another customer's drink, then returned. "What clan?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvM8pRaNfRt
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It took Cel a moment to realize the question wasn't about his affiliation, but his origin. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2QSROjuoWE
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"Storm Clan territory," he said, using the lie Esrin had provided.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBCTZFCxzk
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"Rough up there, I hear. With the Void and all." The bartender shook his head. "Can't imagine living that close to nothing."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQbgShfajD
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"It has its challenges."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVHUJXqFhi
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The conversation lapsed. Cel finished his first tankard and the bartender replaced it without being asked.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgK9fiBqBb5
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"So what brings you to the capital?" The question came casual, the easy interest of someone used to making small talk. "Besides the Academy."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVC5HFQMof
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"Wanted to see it." Not quite true, but not quite false either.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp41WHvTXKn
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The bartender leaned against the bar, wiping down a glass. "Tense time to arrive. All the succession talk has everyone on edge."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMqpOvBAFJ
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Cel's attention sharpened. Succession had been a topic before he'd been taken - the aging Emperor, whispers of which prince would inherit the throne - but it had never been described as tense. "Succession? I thought that was settled. The First Prince—" 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4gGl19MCoO
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“Was the favorite, yeah. But not anymore." The bartender glanced around, lowering his voice slightly - not from fear, just habit. "First Prince still has the Emperor's support, but the Second Prince has the Empress backing him now - she's been pushing hard. And then there's the All-Blessed." 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0PDRnY53M
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Cel went still. As far as he knew, there were only two princes.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrgP91z1ms
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"The All-Blessed?" he asked carefully.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxl6WFHD88Z
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"You haven't heard?" The bartender's eyebrows rose. "A kid blessed by all seven gods."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylsjqdBoXL
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‘What?’ Cel nearly blurted out his disbelief.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0b2XflgMDB
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Being blessed by all seven deities was impossible. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJomHNMoHa
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Only the royal bloodline could be chosen by multiple gods - it was their defining feature, the foundation of their right to rule. Commoners, nobles, even the highest clan lords could not be chosen by more than one deity.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSeDusHG82
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But all seven? That had happened only once in history - the world’s first Chosen who founded the Stellarion Empire.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVb6VY2kc19
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"An illegitimate child," Cel said. Not a question. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmojo9zIX6X
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"That's what everyone assumes. Has to be, right?” The bartender set down the tankard and picked up another. "But here's the thing - the Emperor hasn't acknowledged him as a prince yet. No title, no imperial name, nothing. Just... silence." 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVa6aYoeW6
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"Then how—" 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TVND6h9Ta
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"Life Clan took him in. Raised him, trained him, presented him at court." The bartender's tone carried a note of fascination. "They say he's the next Emperor whether the current one admits it or not. Ocean Clan's starting to agree. They figure if all seven gods chose him, that's authority enough."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJQ7mLTUOM8
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Cel's mind raced. An illegitimate child. It was the only explanation. The Emperor had fathered a bastard, and somehow that child had received the impossible - blessings from every deity.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkipkm8frr
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"What about the other clans?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxy2nkPPVC
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"Sun Clan's with the First Prince - they always back whoever the Emperor wants. Mountain Clan's with the Second because of the Empress. Storm Clan will probably follow Mountain, since Mountain's been keeping them alive." He paused. "Death Clan's a mess. No one knows what they'll do."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZZ2szYnwT
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"Why?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNZvI9UgqI
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The bartender's expression shifted - not quite uncomfortable, but aware he was touching on sensitive topics. "You haven't heard about the Death Clan situation either?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItuYUseFJy
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"Only vaguely. My village was small - news didn't reach us quickly." Cel kept his tone neutral. "Something about their heir?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFnB7H1MEP
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"Right. Well." The bartender refilled Cel's tankard for the third time. "Their heir - the Prince of Death - came back from some expedition as one of the Cursed. Then he killed the Sun Clan's greatest prodigy and vanished. Death Clan's been in chaos ever since. Even some of their own houses are talking about replacing the leading house entirely.”93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡId7lCvLNWW
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Raven. The bartender was talking about Raven.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcOdQrtL6v
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But Cel forced himself not to react, just nodded slowly and drank more.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7CLvQKAQa
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"The Sun Clan must be furious," he said.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NjNcVQPca
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"Furious doesn't cover it. They went on complete lockdown for months. Only recently started opening back up." The bartender shook his head. "The prodigy they lost - he had a Divine Oracle as his guide. Do you know how rare that is? And some Cursed just waltzed in and murdered him."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRVgfQY3qn
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Cel almost laughed. The Sun Clan had lost their greatest prodigy. And here he sat, their greatest failure, carrying a Divine Oracle in his soul.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFwpFXzs5H
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"Do they know why?" Cel asked, keeping his voice level.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1b6MrsQkMi
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"Why does anyone do anything?" The bartender's tone carried the same casual dismissal as before. "Revenge, madness, corruption - who knows? The Cursed aren't right in the head."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nqQvzKY1a
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Cel's fingers tightened around his tankard, but he said nothing. Just drank.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99EvKMFcQE
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The fourth tankard appeared. Then the fifth.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgj3LFPIWE
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The bartender had been watching him with growing fascination.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipj5ITJ0Uf
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"You're putting it away pretty steady for someone who's never touched the stuff."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvodS54JYyS
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Cel glanced at his latest drink. He'd lost count. The liquid went down as easily as water, with just as little effect.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKKLyFcndrF
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"I don't feel anything," he admitted.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlItokO2Yyy
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"Nothing?" The bartender refilled the tankard, looking genuinely curious now. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNEkeeujCIs
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"You either have a hell of a constitution or you’re lying to me." A pause. "But you don't seem like a liar." 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZJd2vp1t9
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Cel said nothing. Just drank.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6o5xIAIxUn
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The tavern's warmth had seeped into his shoulders, loosening muscles that had been tight since the church. Not from the alcohol - just from being somewhere anonymous. Somewhere no one knew what he was or what he'd survived.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4mMH8Tdkvp
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"The succession's going to get messy," the bartender continued, returning to the earlier topic. "Three factions, and none of them willing to back down."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshUILuno5a
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Cel drank more. The seventh - or was it eighth?93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2lhHFgMGVg
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"Sounds complicated," he said.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRA2aCIvJe
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"It is. And it's only going to get worse." The bartender leaned closer, voice dropping. "Rumor is the Emperor and Empress are barely speaking. He wants the First Prince. She wants the Second. And neither of them is backing down."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwONXmw2N7p
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"What happens if they can't agree?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuHlxrJW2w
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"That's the question everyone's asking." The bartender straightened. "Best case? One of them concedes and the succession goes smoothly. Worst case?" He shook his head. "Civil war. The whole Empire tears itself apart."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVMpyGHfQF
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The words settled over Cel like a weight.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfWHUSvbDA
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A year ago, he would have cared deeply about clan politics. Would have analyzed every alliance, every potential outcome, trying to understand how it affected House Solmar's position.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyXqGRrSPw
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Now it all felt distant. Abstract.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRuX8gANvO
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Let them fight over succession. Let the clans tear each other apart. None of it mattered.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbbbMV6pju
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He finished another tankard.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8l9dSCGpd
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The bartender was watching him now with undisguised interest. "You're on your ninth. Most people would be under the table by now."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMkWjRN7yQ
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"I'm not."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hPk78YaGc
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"I can see that." A pause. "You sure you're alright?"93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrUqF3XxPlH
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"Yes."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVGRFWaF4a
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Not quite. But close enough.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnVWkzPCJff
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The bartender studied him for a long moment, then seemed to come to some decision. "Look, I'll keep pouring if you keep paying. But I've got to ask - what are you looking for here? Because if it's information, I've told you what I know. If it's oblivion..." He gestured at the empty tankards. "Well, doesn't seem like that's working."93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkUicW7PBp
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Cel stared at the amber liquid in his current drink.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0I7yRHgIO
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What was he looking for?93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLWT6U31E5
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Not oblivion. His divine body didn't seem capable of granting him that mercy.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXB5T3jPwQS
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He'd come for information. He'd gotten it - the clans were fracturing, succession looming, his family scattered. All the facts he'd needed. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMwelRRccL
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The world had kept turning while he died and came back. Everyone else knew their place in it. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSyVYs2CSi
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He was still trying to remember what it felt like to have one. 93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVNKcNYWro
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"Just trying to figure out where I fit," Cel said finally.93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2s7uCH030R
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Want to read up to 6 Chapter ahead of othere?93Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlT3RQ9aeKL
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